US promises Europe to participate in Ukraine peace talks
Photo: US promises Europe to participate in Ukraine peace talks (flick com libereurope)
The United States has promised that European partners will take part in peace negotiations regarding Ukraine, as Russia is seeking the lifting of European Union-imposed sanctions, Bloomberg reports.
According to sources cited by the agency, US officials have told their European counterparts that the EU must be involved in any peace agreement concerning Ukraine, as Russia is demanding sanctions relief as part of the deal.
It is noted that the US has recently made it clear to European leaders that the priority is to end the hostilities in Ukraine, and only after that can security guarantees be discussed.
These messages may be reassuring for the EU, as European leaders feared that the US might attempt to strike a deal without their involvement. Until now, US President Donald Trump has largely excluded Europe from his discussions with Ukraine and Russia.
US officials have repeatedly assured allies that sanctions will remain in place until an agreement is reached. They are prepared to take further measures to increase pressure on the Kremlin if it does not cooperate, including in the energy sector.
Spokespersons for the US National Security Council and the State Department did not respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the issue in his remarks to journalists at the G7 summit in Canada last week.
"The European Union has imposed significant sanctions on the Russian Federation and on individuals inside of Russia. So they will have to be consulted, and they’ll have to be engaged in this process and so forth. So let’s not predetermine or start putting everything ahead of itself here," Rubio stated.
Trump’s standoff with Europe
It is worth noting that President Donald Trump has been critical of Europe even before his election victory, accusing European nations of not investing enough in security and defense. He has also complained that European countries have allegedly contributed less financial support to Ukraine.
Trump wants NATO countries to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP, whereas some EU nations have yet to reach the 2% of GDP target.
Another factor complicating US-European relations has been Ukraine. At the Munich Security Conference, US Special Representative Keith Kellogg stated that he does not see Europe at the negotiating table regarding Ukraine, which has, to some extent, galvanized European countries into action.
France and Britain have taken the lead in developing a peace agreement to secure lasting peace in Ukraine after hostilities cease. Additionally, a "coalition of the willing" has been formed to prepare for a possible peacekeeping mission.
